


A Slight Bend in the Road

by exandriantrashpanda (topothesia)



Category: Critical Role (Web Series) RPF
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-10
Updated: 2018-10-10
Packaged: 2019-07-28 21:56:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16250561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/topothesia/pseuds/exandriantrashpanda
Summary: “All right?” Brian asks after the [Between the Sheets] set is clear and it’s just the two of them again, although he already knows the answer.“Hey, man, carving off little pieces of my soul and offering them to people is what I do every day,” Liam quips. “I’ll be fine.”“All that and the opportunity for day drinking,” Brian says.





	A Slight Bend in the Road

**Author's Note:**

> Minor spoilers (I guess?) for Liam's episode of Between The Sheets, since most of the joke references are lifted from things they talked about there.
> 
> For my darling shame pit roommate, long may she reign.

“All right?” Brian asks after the set is clear and it’s just the two of them again, although he already knows the answer.

“Hey, man, carving off little pieces of my soul and offering them to people is what I do every day,” Liam quips. “I’ll be fine.”

“All that and the opportunity for day drinking,” Brian says. 

“It’s a living,” Liam says, still trying to keep his tone light. He reaches up and loosens his tie.

“Do you wanna...well, I don’t think either of us should drink more at the moment, but have some coffee?” Brian asks.

“Do you say that to all the people you interview, or just the ones you make cry that much?” Liam asks. 

“A good interviewer never kisses and tells. Or ...drinks and tells?” Brian says. “But anyways, do you wanna?”

Liam considers. “We have time before the game starts, right? I’ve kinda lost track of time. Which might be because of the wine.”

“Your holiday parties must be hella fun if that’s what you serve at them,” Brian says. 

“You have no idea,” Liam says. “I should really invite you to one.”

“But, anyways, coffee,” Brian says. “Or something that won’t make us more maudlin than we already are.”

“Pretty sure there’s no substance on earth that could make me completely maudlin-less. Without maudlin? Fuck, I don’t know.” Liam says.

Brian pauses for a minute and studies Liam. “As much as I love bantering with you, you know you don’t have to joke your way out of this, right? It’s just us now.”

“This is how I cope,” Liam says. “Whether I’m being recorded or not.”

“You really went there, you know?” Brian says. “More than anyone else did so far.”

“Are you surprised?” Liam asks. 

“Not at all,” Brian says. “Just pleased. You made my job easy,” he says.

Liam laughs. “Even with all the jokes about taint drop?”

Brian laughs and says, “The sublime and the ridiculous.”

“Our group in a nutshell,” Liam says. 

“No one exemplifies that better than you,” Brian says, and Liam blushes underneath his makeup.

Brian nods. “Okay. So, coffee. Or you can have first dibs on napping on the Talks couch. I’m feeling generous.”

“I don’t want coffee,” Liam says. “Or -- and I can’t believe I’m saying this -- a nap.”

Brian leans forward and looks Liam in the eye. “What do you want, then?”

Liam meets Brian’s gaze for a moment but then raises his arm and rubs at the back of his neck. “I want to take off this damn tie, and I should drink some water, and I want a hug.”

“Your work husband won’t be here for at least another hour,” Brian says. “Will I do as a substitute?”

Liam pretends to consider. “I suppose you’ll do.”

“I could always go get our creative director,” Brian says. “Or Dani. Or Max. Or all of them.”

“They all have enough to do right now,” Liam says. “And I don’t want all the attention of a cuddle puddle.”

“Of course you don’t,” Brian says. “Well, take off your tie, and I’ll go get us some water, and then I’ll try to remember how to hug someone.”

“Ashley hasn’t been gone that long,” Liam teases as Brian gets up and heads towards the kitchen.

When Brian returns, Liam is still seated at the bar set, but he has taken off his tie, unbuttoned the top two buttons on his shirt, and pulled out his phone.

“Looking to see who on Tumblr is professing their love for you right now?” Brian says, setting a bottle of water down on the bar.

Liam snorts. “Nah, just checking in on the family. You know, the one who doesn’t live here.”

“Everything all right with your first family?” Brian asks.

“The usual weekday school night chaos,” Liam says, putting his phone down to open the bottle of water and take a drink. “At least opening up my soul to the Internet has gotten me out of having to help with math homework this evening. Fractions aren’t any more fun the second time around.”

Brian nods. “So we’ve gotten two out of three things accomplished. Do you still want the third?”

“I just need a minute before the usual Thursday night tomfoolery ramps up to its accustomed ridiculous heights,” Liam says. “That’s all. But...yes?” he says, almost unsure.

Brian steps closer. “Say when,” he says, and wraps his arms around Liam. Liam leans his head into Brian’s chest and wraps his arms around Brian. 

“I’m going to get makeup on your shirt,” Liam says. 

“I’m not the one who’s going to be on camera again tonight,” Brian says, shifting a little. “And don’t worry; if anyone asks, I’ll just say we were going at it so hard that we didn’t even stop to take off all our clothes.”

“The Internet would love to hear that,” Liam says, huffing a laugh into Brian’s chest. 

“You’re already going to be taunting them enough with your statements about what we all may or may not have done on this set already,” Brian says, running his left hand gently up and down Liam’s back. 

Liam goes quiet, and then Brian feels his shoulders shake a little, and then Liam pulls his head up and mutters, “I don’t want to get your shirt wet.” Brian looks down and sees that Liam’s quietly crying, slow tears running down his face.

“Go ahead and wreck it,” Brian says, and gently pushes Liam’s head back into place against his chest before rubbing his back again. They stand like this for a long moment; eventually, Liam’s shaking stills and Brian’s hands cease moving, but they still remain pressed together. 

“You were amazing today. You know that, right?” Brian finally says softly before kissing the top of Liam’s head. 

Liam laughs wetly into Brian’s chest. “I bet you say that to all the boys and girls.”

“I only mean it when I say it to you, baby,” Brian says.

Liam laughs again, and lifts his head. “Thanks,” he says.

Brian kisses Liam lightly on the forehead. “No, thank you. For being you. I hope you never doubt how much we care about you. How glad we are that you’re still with us. How much use you are in our world.”

“You’re gonna make me start crying again,” Liam says, pulling away a little to swipe at his face. “God. I must look like a hot mess.”

“Nah, it’s a good look on you,” Brian says. 

“Yeah, no, I’m gonna go...do something about this before I have to go pretend to be a trash wizard on camera for four hours,” Liam says, standing up and grabbing his phone and the bottle of water. Brian steps back to let him move away. 

Liam looks over his shoulder as he heads towards the bathroom. “You’re really good at this, you know?”

Brian makes a self-deprecating gesture and is about to open his mouth, but Liam holds up a hand to stop him. 

“I mean it. If you can make me take a compliment without turning it into a punchline, I can make you take one too. You’re good at this.”

Brian opens his mouth and closes it again, and just nods. “Now who’s going to start crying?” he finally says. 

“Well, go get Marisha to hug you while I fix my face,” Liam says as he walks away. “Or Dani. See if you can get her to leave her laptop unlocked again so I can get at her Twitter while she’s distracted.”

“Yes, dear,” Brian calls after him as they both walk away.


End file.
